WENT Responders

Community First Responders Group. After a 999 call to the Ambulance Service, our role is to be first on scene.

We are trained in basic life support, oxygen therapy and the use of a defibrillator. Our principle aims are to improve the numbers of patients surviving cardiac arrests and other life threatening conditions such as choking and respiratory arrest.

Dealing with 999 calls they responded to 134 calls in their first year, Tony France, their Co-ordinator told us;
The calls have ranged from Heart Attacks, Strokes, falls and Diabetic Coma’s. We cover the villages of Woolpit, Elmswell, Norton and Tostock. In July we started to cover Stowlangtoft, Hunston, Langham, Badwell Ash, Long Thurlow, and Great Ashfield.

New members – If you would like to learn basic first aid which takes place over a weekend and is carried out by the Ambulance Service and join our group please call 01359 240208 and speak to Tony France. Perhaps you would like to come to one of our monthly meetings and get a feel for what the role is about.

If you are a local group and you would like a member of the Responders to come along and give a brief talk about the role of the responder please just call Tony.

Helpful Hints

We are approaching three years working in this community as a voluntary group, and we have put together a few simple ideas which may be helpful.

Message-In-A-Bottle

This scheme, started by The Lions Club (http://www.lions.org.uk/health/miab), is a simple idea designed to encourage people to keep their personal and medical details on a standard form and in a common location – the fridge. Whilst it is focused on the more vulnerable people in our community, anyone can have an accident at home, so this scheme can benefit everyone. If there is a need for a paramedic to come to the house to see you in an emergency, this information can then be very quickly found and may well be invaluable while you are being treated. There are a number of places to obtain these bottles, the best one being The Lions Club – Tel: 0845.833.9502, or E.mail: miabceorder@lions.org.uk, or local branch’s Website: www.stowlions.org.uk.

Emergency Call Buttons & Key Pads

Emergency Call Buttons can be rented by the quarter from Mid Suffolk District Council, where a very helpful team will give advice and guidance about this extremely useful piece of equipment which is particularly appropriate for people living on their own. As well as the call button, which can be worn on the wrist or round the neck, this team are able to help and advise on emergency Key Pads which are also very helpful when you have dialled 999 and the emergency services need to gain access if you are unable to reach the door. For further details, please contact Wendy Allum on 01449-724752 or E-mail wendy.allum@midsuffolk.gov.uk

House Numbers & Signs

Please look at your house number or sign and check if you think it would be clearly visible to the emergency services, both during the day and at night. So often we are called out responding to an emergency call but cannot find the house because the sign is hidden or even missing, and this could be the difference in whether we are able to find you in time. When you dial 999, particularly during the hours of darkness, if at all possible please remember to switch on all the lights (including those outside) since this also helps us to find you and save precious minutes.